Tempo:
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
40 1469-1539.
Nanak admits the mission of
Muhammad as well as the Hinduincarnations.
Disclaims miraculous powers. Discourages asceticism.
CHAP. U
Nanak also referred to the Arabian prophet, and to the Hindu incarnations, not as impostors and the diffusers of evil, but as having truly been sent by God to instruct mankind, and he lamented that sin should nevertheless prevail. He asserted no special divinity, although he may possibly have considered himself, as he came to be considered by others, the successor of these inspired teachers of his belief, sent to reclaim fallen mortals of all creeds and countries within the limits of his knowledge. He rendered his mission applicable to all times and places, yet he declared himself to be but the slave, the humble messenger of the Almighty, making use of universal truth as his sole instrument.^ He did not claim for his writings, replete as they were with wisdom and devotion,- the merit of a direct transcription of the words of God; nor did he say that his own preaching required or would be sanctioned by miracles.'^ 'Fight with no weapon,' said he, 'save the word of God; a holy teacher hath no means save the purity of his doctrine.' ^ He taught that asceticism or abandonment of the world was unnecessary, the pious hermit and the devout householder being equal in the eyes of the Almighty; but he did not, like his contemporary Vallabh, express any invidious preference for
married teachers, although his own example showed that he considered every one should fulfil the functions The whole scope of Nanak's teaching is that God is all and that purity of mind is the first of objects. He urges all men to practise devotion, and he refers to past prophets and dispensations as being now of no avail, but he nowhere attributes to himself any superiority over others. He was a man among men, calling upon his fellow creatures to live a holy life. (Cf. the Dahistan, ii. 249, 250, 253; and see Wilson, As. Res., 1
in
all,
xvii. 234, for the expression 'Nanak thy slave is a freewill offering unto thee'.) - The Muhammadan writers are loud in their praises of Nanak's writings. (Cf. the Siar ul Mutakharin, i. 110, 111, and
the Dahistan, ii. 251, 252.) With these sober views of the Orientals may be contrasted the opinion of the European, Baron Hugel, who says (Travels, p. 283) that the Granth is 'a compound of mystical absurdities'. He admits, however, that the Sikhs worship one God, abhor images, and reject caste, at least in theory. See particularly the Sri Rag chapter of the Adi-Granth. In 'the Maj Var portion Nanak says to a pretender to miracles, 'Dwell thou in flame uninjured, remain unharmed amid eternal ice, make blocks of stone thy food, spurn the solid earth before thee with thy foot, weigh the lieavens in a balance, and then ask thou that Nanak perform wonders!' Strauss (Life of Jesus, ii. 237) points out that Christ cen48), and observes that sured the seeking for miracles (John the apostles in their letters do not mention miracles at all. •'•
^
Malcolm, Sketch, pp. 20, 21,
165.
40 1469-1539.
Nanak admits the mission of
Muhammad as well as the Hinduincarnations.
Disclaims miraculous powers. Discourages asceticism.
CHAP. U
Nanak also referred to the Arabian prophet, and to the Hindu incarnations, not as impostors and the diffusers of evil, but as having truly been sent by God to instruct mankind, and he lamented that sin should nevertheless prevail. He asserted no special divinity, although he may possibly have considered himself, as he came to be considered by others, the successor of these inspired teachers of his belief, sent to reclaim fallen mortals of all creeds and countries within the limits of his knowledge. He rendered his mission applicable to all times and places, yet he declared himself to be but the slave, the humble messenger of the Almighty, making use of universal truth as his sole instrument.^ He did not claim for his writings, replete as they were with wisdom and devotion,- the merit of a direct transcription of the words of God; nor did he say that his own preaching required or would be sanctioned by miracles.'^ 'Fight with no weapon,' said he, 'save the word of God; a holy teacher hath no means save the purity of his doctrine.' ^ He taught that asceticism or abandonment of the world was unnecessary, the pious hermit and the devout householder being equal in the eyes of the Almighty; but he did not, like his contemporary Vallabh, express any invidious preference for
married teachers, although his own example showed that he considered every one should fulfil the functions The whole scope of Nanak's teaching is that God is all and that purity of mind is the first of objects. He urges all men to practise devotion, and he refers to past prophets and dispensations as being now of no avail, but he nowhere attributes to himself any superiority over others. He was a man among men, calling upon his fellow creatures to live a holy life. (Cf. the Dahistan, ii. 249, 250, 253; and see Wilson, As. Res., 1
in
all,
xvii. 234, for the expression 'Nanak thy slave is a freewill offering unto thee'.) - The Muhammadan writers are loud in their praises of Nanak's writings. (Cf. the Siar ul Mutakharin, i. 110, 111, and
the Dahistan, ii. 251, 252.) With these sober views of the Orientals may be contrasted the opinion of the European, Baron Hugel, who says (Travels, p. 283) that the Granth is 'a compound of mystical absurdities'. He admits, however, that the Sikhs worship one God, abhor images, and reject caste, at least in theory. See particularly the Sri Rag chapter of the Adi-Granth. In 'the Maj Var portion Nanak says to a pretender to miracles, 'Dwell thou in flame uninjured, remain unharmed amid eternal ice, make blocks of stone thy food, spurn the solid earth before thee with thy foot, weigh the lieavens in a balance, and then ask thou that Nanak perform wonders!' Strauss (Life of Jesus, ii. 237) points out that Christ cen48), and observes that sured the seeking for miracles (John the apostles in their letters do not mention miracles at all. •'•
^
Malcolm, Sketch, pp. 20, 21,
165.
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